The past year saw Rockville win accolades for its family-friendliness and inclusiveness while forging new paths for engaging the community and celebrating the city’s diversity.
The Mayor and Council set priorities for the future as they began the first four-year term in the city’s history and Rockville continued to provide premium city services in public safety, public works, recreation and parks.
In January, Rockville received nearly 30 inches of snow during the “Snowzilla” blizzard. City crews worked day and night throughout the Jan. 22-24 storm, and for days after, to clear snow from city streets.
In February, the Mayor and Council identified 25 priorities for the city as they began to outline initiatives for the new term. The initiatives included completing the city’s master plan and the Rockville Pike plan, establishing economic development incentives and advocating for school construction funding. Learn more at www.rockvillemd.gov/mayorcouncil.
In March, the Rockville City Police Department reported crime statistics for 2015, posting a 4.2 percent overall decrease and continuing an 11-year period in which Rockville has seen significant crime reduction.
In April, Rockville continued to establish a strong program for outreach to the minority-, female- and disabled-owned business community with a presence at business events, information gathering about MFD vendors and the first technical assistance meetings with MFD businesses.
In May, citing the city’s diversity, walkability and parks, Livability.com named Rockville to the top spot on its Best Cities for Families list, and the city celebrated with its 28th annual Hometown Holidays Music Fest over Memorial Day weekend.
In June, the city teamed up with the Montgomery County Road Runners Club to host the inaugural Suds & Soles 5K (www.rockvillemd.gov/sudsandsoles), which featured a flat, fast course through Town Center and a postrace party.
In July, city staff presented the Planning Commission the results of citywide forums that served as the initial public outreach phase of the Rockville 2040 update to the city’s Comprehensive Master Plan. Learn more at www.rockvillemd.gov/rockville2040. Also in July, the city debuted a redesigned “Rockville Reports” print edition and launched RockvilleReports.com. The new online city news source features shareable, translatable links to the latest city news and video from Rockville 11.
In August, the Mayor and Council capped a decade of partnering with the public to refine the Rockville Pike Neighborhood Plan, unanimously approving a vision for redevelopment that will create a more attractive environment to live, work in and visit, with parks and better options for transportation. Learn more at www.rockvillemd.gov/rockvillespike.
In September, test results for lead and copper in tap water samples once again confirmed that Rockville’s drinking water is clean and safe. Also in September, the King Farm Farmstead Task Force began its work and the Mayor and Council received the Senior Needs Assessment Implementation Plan.
In October, Rockville ranked second in the state on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index scorecard for support and inclusivity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community members. Also in October, city engineers helped turtles cross the street (Search “turtles” at RockvilleReports.com to learn more) and Rockville Volunteer Fire Department members visited City Hall before a Mayor and Council meeting to thank the city for supporting the department’s purchase of a new advanced life support chase car.
In November, the state Department of Transportation announced a $100,000 grant to the city to bring two new bikeshare stations to Twinbrook.
In December, the city again helped neighbors in need with the Rockville Holiday Drive.
Read more about 2016 in Rockville at RockvilleReports.com or www.rockvillemd.gov/rockvillereports. Look for more top stories from 2016 in Rockville 11’s December edition of “Rock 11 Now” on county cable channel 11, streaming at www.rockvillemd.gov/rockville11 and on the city’s YouTube channel at www.rockvillemd.gov/youtube.